MONTREAL -- Quebec public health authorities announced Saturday that the number of people who have died due to COVID-19 in Quebec increased by 26.
Authorities say five people died in the past 24 hours, in addition to one on an unknown date. In addition, 17 people died between Oct. 17-22, and three people died before Oct. 17.
Seven deaths were reported in the Quebec City region (285 total), six in Monteregie (683 total), five in Chaudiere Appalaches (54 total), four in the Laurentians (294 total), two in Lanaudiere (227 total), and one in Estrie (35 total) and Outaouais (38 total).
The total number of people who have died since the start of the pandemic is now 6,132.
Quebec also announced that 1,009 more people have tested positive for the disease in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 99,235.
Quebec City with 135 new cases (8,117 total), Chaudiere-Appalaches with 91 new cases (3,049 total) and Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Quebec with 79 new cases (3,912 total) continue to see high numbers of increases in their regions.
Deputy premier Genevieve Guilbault had a dire warning for those living in Quebec City and neighbouring Chaudiere-Appalaches Friday.
Guilbault says people haven't been following public health guidelines, resulting in a spike of cases in the two regions that could threaten the ability to provide medical treatment if it's not brought under control.
Both regions were largely spared during the first wave, but Guilbault says in Chaudiere-Appalaches, there have been four times more cases and five times more deaths this time.
The Quebec City region holds the dubious distinction of having the highest number of active cases per 100,000 population in the province.
Montreal had the highest increase in numbers Saturday with 253 new cases Saturday (40,723), and Monteregie's cases increased by 134 (14,495 total).
The number of hospitalizations in the province increased by nine for a total of 549. Of those, 93 people are in the intensive care ward, a decrease of six.
The National Institute of Quebec Public Health reported that 1,027 more people have recovered from the disease bringing that total to 83,819.
Health-care professionals analyzed 26,542 samples on Oct. 22. (Quebec releases its sampling data from two days prior to its daily updates).
